Tigers can't forget elephant in the room that makes Tarik Skubal trade the worst idea

The big question for the Tigers' offseason, at least for everyone else, is whether or not they'll trade Tarik Skubal. Tigers fans are going to try to ignore all the noise until anything real materializes (Scott Harris has completely declined to comment on whether or not they'll even think about trading Skubal, but that hasn't stopped the rumors) and hope the Tigers fill gaps on the roster, but the conversation is already impossible to get away from.

Trade proposals are running rampant, with the usual suspects flocking. The Mets are reportedly already prepared to trade everyone except No. 1 prospect Nolan McLean. The Dodgers, Red Sox, and Phillies could also have the prospect firepower to get it done.

If Skubal is destined to leave Detroit, the last thing fans want is to see that time cut before it absolutely has to be. The idea of a Skubal Window might be a little overblown, but there's no question that the Tigers are at their best when he's on the mound.

Besides, there's a specter looming over all of MLB: a lockout after the 2026 season, when the current collective bargaining agreement ends, seems almost inevitable. It's bound to abbreviate the 2027 season, so the Tigers should do absolutely everything they can to win in 2026. That means keeping Skubal.

MLB's almost inevitable 2026-2027 lockout should make Tigers more inclined to keep Tarik Skubal next season

Calls for a salary cap are anything but new, but they're even more fervent now that the Dodgers have steamrolled their way through the postseason and will meet the Blue Jays, who have the seventh-highest payroll in baseball this year, in the World Series. Fans are obviously split based on how successful or rich their team is or isn't, but what really matters is that the owners are (obviously) in favor, and the players are (obviously) not. That means Skubal is highly unlikely to get his $400 million before all of this goes down, which also means the Tigers would be foolish to trade him knowing that negotiating edge for the buyer will drive the price down in some capacity.

If it all goes down, it would be the 10th work stoppage in MLB's history either via lockout or strike. The last one in the 2021-2022 offseason moved Opening Day to April 7, which wasn't the worst thing the world, but the 1994-1995 strike is the longest stoppage in professional sports history — and it was over a salary cap.

948 games were canceled between the 1994 and 1995 seasons, and we could be looking at that same kind of lengthy impasse next year. If that happens, no one will be winning the 2027 World Series, so the Tigers might as well go full-send in 2026.